The Garage Iftar at W Abu Dhabi, Yas Island

The Experience Team

4 years ago

Be ready to have your socks knocked off at this brilliant Iftar in the most unique setting in the UAE.

There is something mythical about the W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island that brings on a great expectation of experiencing the best of the best hospitality in Abu Dhabi. From its iconic design that is visible form far and wide to its unique location smack in the middle of the only F1 circuit in the country indeed makes it a special place.

You will be surprised to learn that each element of this unique property has a story behind it, for example the signature W outside the hotel, it has crude oil textured stone referencing the discovery of oil in Abu Dhabi, this is so unique.

The classy lobby is immaculate with its sleek check in pods on the right and the huge expanse of the Roastery taking center stage. Look closely at the wall behind the check in desks and you will see another reference to local history, the peg wall, featuring replicas of local nose pegs used by pearl divers.

As we enter the Garage we are completely take by the ambiance and décor, its a mystical place like something out of a fairytale with its vivid lighting, industrial fittings shrouded in darkness with dangling vegetation festooned with colorful Middle Eastern style lanterns giving the aura of being in Aladdin’s Cave.

There is indoor and outdoor seating on the iconic deck overlooking the F1 track and marina which was the choice for the evening. The weather was fantastic making it an extra special evening and looking at the track conjured images of the dogfights between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel that must would have taken place just steps away form us, this place is indeed special.

Its sundown and time to break the fast, we ae served a bowl of fresh dates with some traditional Arabic coffee and then its off to the buffet. The food is presented in different areas, one side is the Japanese Nikkei House serving Japanese and Peruvian fusion cuisine.

In the middle is the brightly colored Steam Table featuring a range of classic Asian street food and further down you come to the Arabic Mezze Bar featuring décor inspired by La Maison Rose, the abandoned Jewel of Beirut.

The Mezze Bar

We start with some of the traditional Arabic mezze and a few pieces of he Arabic style flatbread pizza, one version is topped with juicy slivers of Iskendar Kebab sprinkled with fresh Mozzarella and the other grilled veggies, the kebab is simply divine the crunch of the flatbread makes each bite a delight.

The Japanese Nikkei House

We move on to the Nikkei House, its literally a room completely devoted to this Japanese fusion cuisine with rows and rows of artfully created plates featuring Peruvian ingredients sitting on a bed of ice waiting to be tasted, we are completely bowled over and its becoming hard to pass up any of these delicacies.

We settle for an assorted plate of sushi rolls and can’t resist trying the Salmon Poke and one of the Tofu and Carrot Tradito. The sushi is excellent, the Prawn Nigiri and the spicy Futo Maki are the highlights with the Poke adding its sparkle. There is so much to try but we have to back off considering the other stuff waiting to be sampled.

The Steam Table

We head on to the Steam Table, on one side is a counter full of different styles of crackers and dips, the other side has bowls of delectable beef and chicken ramen made to order piping hot and then there is the wok tossed fried rice.

A selection of steamed dumplings is on offer with an array of dipping sauces, we loved the chicken ones with the spicy sambal dip. There are some exotic lotus fish fritters that are simply divine, the crunch of the batter with lotus wrapped fresh fish inside was a real delight, we must admit we loved these.

Things are getting a bit complicated, the food is so good that we are really having a hard time resisting sampling everything so we reluctantly move on to the grills and the Arabic section.

We grab a bowl of the traditional Arabic soup and head on over to get a portion of the Lamb Ouzi, the lamb is fork tender and the fragrant rice are a perfect compliment. At the grills section we are served some of the best lamb chops we have had in a long time, the outside is charred to perfection, the inside moist and juicy we are in heaven.

The Tart Van

After a suitable break we head on over to tackle the Tart Van that is the dessert section, the first thing that jumps out is the Cheesecake Kunafa which was decadent with the drizzle of syrup, you can add a scoop of saffron ice cream to take it to the next level, simply divine.

There are neat little shooters of Tiramisu and Chocolate Mousse and at the window of the Tart Van there is a selection of Arabic ice cream and tarts, the Broken Baklava Pistachio Tart and the Date and Blueberry Cheese Tart were just amazing, wish we could have them boxed for takeaway.

We end the evening with a round of Arabic coffee with vanilla ice cream which is a first for us, the flavor of the coffee mixed with the ice cream was quite unique.

The Verdict

The Iftar at the Garage is certainly of the most unique ones we have tried so far, the ambiance is amazing, the food is simply perfect, each dish is a standout and then there is the stunning location, no other venue can match this combination and not to mention the immaculate service, we are completely bowled over.